The use of high intensity light, e.g. lasers, is becoming more prevalent in various fields. For example, lasers are frequently used in medical and military applications.
Protective equipment is often necessary to prevent a person or objects from being harmed by high intensity light. Laser light, for example, can be very intense and is capable of damaging a person's eyesight. The intensity of the light can be amplified by the cornea onto the retina thereby damaging the eyes. In some cases, objects such as photocells or other equipment can be damaged by exposure to high intensity light.
Presently available means for protecting a person from laser light include protective equipment having a phthalocyanine dye incorporated within the object or diffraction gratings spaced specifically to absorb various wavelengths of light. The devices having diffraction gratings are often difficult and expensive to manufacture. The diffraction grating devices can also have reduced efficiency when light is being transmitted at an angle other than 90 degrees.